


and i could easily lose my mind

by kinselllas



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 16:21:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13239510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinselllas/pseuds/kinselllas
Summary: It had been like this lately, a rush of adrenaline at the sight of each other. A constant reminder.Thank god. Yes. You’re alive.Post 2x09





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's no reasonable explanation for this, other than they kissed and I had to write it. I won't pretend it's much more than smut.
> 
> Mostly canon, minus Archie and Veronica's reunion at the end of 2x09.

It’s times like these that Betty thinks, _this is what a near death experience got me_. Her back is pressed up against a classroom door during free period. Archie’s hands are under her pale blue skirt, toying with the waistband of her tights, and they aren’t exactly doing anything other than _breathing_ as if they’re lucky to be doing that alone.

_It had started with a hastily scribbled note in her locker-_

_Meet me. Room 305. AA_

_And Betty had rolled her eyes at the initials, as if she couldn’t recognize his handwriting on her own, hadn’t been reading notes from him for years. She pushed open the classroom door and found Archie perched on the edge of a desk, rushing towards her as soon as she entered the space. It had been like this lately, a rush of adrenaline at the sight of each other. A constant reminder._

_Thank god. Yes. You’re alive._

“Arch,” Betty sighs, his mouth is resting just above her ear. She doesn’t hate it. “We still need to talk.”

Archie drops his head, and she can feel the nod from his cheek against her own. They had tried a few times now, to talk about the unspoken kiss, the black hood, a gun at Betty’s head. Somehow they always ended up in a similar position, desperate for the contact again.

“You’re right,” he says, gently.“Sorry.”

Betty forces a small smile, shoving down the guilt she feels about Jughead- _who broke up with her_ , and Veronica- _who broke up with Archie._ But this is not _that_ anyway, has no stake in _that._ This is coping, somehow. Sometimes that night feels like nothing more than a nightmare.

Archie reaches up to push a strand of hair out of her face. “What are you thinking about?”

His eyes are so patient, other hand resting on her side, fingers overlaid on her ribs. She’s sure if he pressed a little harder he’d be able to feel her heart hammering inside the cage. Lately, Archie’s body hovers over her like a shield. Even openly, he’ll stand behind her as she sifts through her locker orpress his leg against hers at Pops. Veronica has taken note, referencing Archie’s loyalty to that of Old Yeller or another fictional canine. Betty laughs it off before finding her hands up Archie’s shirt in his backseat twenty minutes later.

“Why am I still scared, Archie?” Her voice breaks, turning into a whisper. “It’s over, and I’m still scared.”

Archie’s gaze drops to the floor, but he lets his forehead rest against hers. Betty’s eyes fall closed and she inhales at the proximity. She misses Jughead, misses Polly, misses the way things were before any of this happened. She doesn’t want to need this, to rely on Archie to feel safe again. Yet, here they are- over, and over, and over-

“I am too,” Archie whispers, and she can feel his eyes on her mouth. “But we’re here, right?”

They’re here.

Betty’s lips find his, an exhale into his mouth. Archie doesn’t hesitate returning the kiss, hands gripping her waist to lift her up against the door. Betty wraps her legs around his hips and lets her head fall back to give him access to her neck and collar bone. Her mouth moves to his ear, teeth scraping against the shell. Archie groans against her throat.

“ _Betts_ …” A warning.

_Thank god. Yes. You’re alive._

 

 

Every so often Betty’s phone wakes her in the middle of the night with a quick message from Archie.

**_Archie:_ ** _you awake?_

She resists scolding him for being the _reason_ she’s awake. His nightmares are frequent and paralyzing. Archie hallucinates waking up covered in blood. Archie unmasks the black hood to see his own face staring back at him. Archie lays motionless in a wooden box and suffocates to death. Archie sits at a gravestone marked _Elizabeth Cooper, beloved daughter and friend_

**_Betty:_ ** _Yes_

They end up making out against the large elm tree in Archie’s backyard. He doesn’t bother wearing a shirt and slips his hand down the front of her pajama shorts. Her nails trace over the outline of his cock but ultimately she comes far too quickly grinding against his fingers, a small cry into his bare shoulder. Archie glides his thumb over her cheek to wipe away a stray tear and presses a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Goodnight, Betty.”

 

 

“Why are you so flushed?” Kevin asks her at lunch one day.

The question only makes her redden more, and she spots Archie across the cafeteria talking to Reggie. Her hand reflexively comes up to cover the tiny purpling bruise at the base of her neck. Veronica slides into the space next to her and Betty practically jumps.

“Wow,” she raises an eyebrow. “Should I announce myself next time, B?”

Betty shrugs, keeping her hand in place. “Sorry, still a little on edge.”

Kevin and Veronica nod with understanding. She ignores Kevin’s question and takes a small bite of her apple. She’s suddenly hyper aware that Archie’s watching her. Reggie’s still talking to him, but his gaze is locked on Betty and she gives a small shake of her head. They were interrupted nearly thirty minutes ago in the boys’ bathroom, Archie’s hand over Betty’s mouth while his fingers still rubbed and flicked at her nipples. Betty challenged him with her eyes and snaked her hand down the front of his jeans, letting her nails drag along his length. Archie’s teeth sunk into his bottom lip so hard it nearly turned white.

As soon as their intruder left they exchanged a hungry kiss and Betty pushed past him, rushing to lunch. And here they are, in a deadlock. Archie gives her a subtle nod to the courtyard and Betty responds with a tiny nod at Veronica. He rolls his eyes, but she knows it’s mostly out of guilt they don’t know how to place. 

After Vixen practice, she finds him playing guitar in the auditorium alone. Her leap onto his lap nearly knocks him off the stool. He laughs against her mouth and Betty swallows it, all of it. _This_ is not _that_.

 

 

It’s Betty who has a nightmare two nights later, and she wakes in a cold sweat, gripping her sheets for some sense of reality. As if he can sense it, Archie is tapping on her window a few minutes later. She keeps the lights off and opens the window, impressed by how quietly he manages to crawl into the room.

“Hey,” she whispers, and Archie reads her energy immediately, moving around her body.

“Betty,” he says, and her finger catches his lips.A silent reminder to whisper. “Are you okay?”

She nods, unconvincing. The nightmares aren’t exactly new for Betty, either. She and Archie had bothbeen haunted by the black hood for months before they were able to confront him. She had watchedherself die in a few insane scenarios, but this was the first time she watched Archie die, felt him suffocate to death after being buried alive. Her arms wrap around his waist, hands gliding up his back and Archie returns the hold. His cheek is pressed against her hair and he exhales.

“It’s alright,” he whispers, “I’m here.”

Betty nods against his skin and Archie tilts her chin up to meet her eyes. When he leans down to kiss her, it’s not as desperate and hungry as before, maybe due to it being the dead of night. His tongue eases its way into her mouth, languid and purposeful. Betty’s sigh turns into a moan as he breathes her in, one hand resting at the base of her neck. His thumb is gentle on her throat. She’s sure he can feel her swallow.

“ _Arch…_ ” A warning.

Archie doesn’t speak, but she can feel him nod. He backs her up until her legs hit the edge of her bed, laying her down gently. Her hands are still a little shaky from her dream, but she moves them to his face and pulls him close for another kiss. Archie’s mouth trails over her jaw, down her neck. He doesn’t linger at her chest, but kisses her stomach, the insides of her thighs. His fingers hook in her underwear and he tugs gently, hesitantly. Betty lifts her hips and lets him pull them down, her body thrumming nervously.

She takes a trembling breath as Archie’s mouth touches her folds. His tongue licks up into her and Betty whimpers, beyond her control. He follows the same path again and she can feel her stomach pool with want, aching for more. His fingers part her folds and his tongue flicks at her clit lightly.

She whispers, “Archie.” And he halts his movements.

“Should I stop?” He asks, voice already a little ragged.

Betty shakes her head, eyes glued to the ceiling. She can _almost_ feel Archie’s smile on her skin.

His tongue works slow circles around her clit, flicking in different patterns to tease her until she reaches down to grip at his hair and he obeys, finding a rhythm and letting one finger slip inside of her.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Betty says, soft.

Archie groans against her and it vibrates through her body in waves. He slides another finger insideand quickens his pace, tongue flicking at her clit in featherlight touches that make Betty start to tremble. Her fingers dig into his scalp and she finds herself yanking at his hair, Archie’s moans are buried against her skin.

She comes with his name a silent cry on her lips and he’s panting, forehead against her thigh. She should return the favor, reaches to do as much and he chuckles, shaking his head at her. Betty feels a familiar sting of rejection, retracting her hand to sit up on the bed. Archie pushes himself up from the floor and kisses the top of her hair.

“You should get some sleep,” he mumbles against her forehead. “School tomorrow.”

 

 

After that, Betty gets some space from Archie. She keeps herself at a careful distance, always near Veronica or Kevin, sometimes Cheryl, knowing he wouldn’t dare get too close and give them away. Cheryl invites her to her annual spring fling party and Betty says yes, in hopes it will be the first night in awhile that things could feel normal.

She and Veronica get ready in her room and don’t mention Archie or Jughead. Betty keeps the blinds shut the entire time. She tucks her white tee into her pastel pink skirt and skips the tights, a result of the warmer weather. Veronica opts for one of her tight black mini dresses and Betty silently wonders if Archie will spend the entire night staring at her ass.

_Not that she cares, she’s done with that anyway._

Still, it would annoy her.

“You look pretty, Betts.” Veronica flashes her a white smile and Betty returns it, always a little shy under her friend’s gaze.

“Thanks, Ron.”

Upon walking through the door, Cheryl hands both girls plastic cups filled with a bright red liquid. Betty takes a careful sip and is met with an intense mixture of strawberries, vanilla, and the burn of vodka.

“Ladies,” Cheryl nods, a sly smile. “Welcome to the party.”

Veronica is beckoned by Reggie and Josie almost immediately, and Betty follows Cheryl to the kitchen. Kevin is animatedly telling a story about his father and Betty saddles up next to him at the counter. She takes another big gulp from her cup. Fingers graze her waist and Betty jumps, freezing when she finds Archie standing behind her.

He’s wearing an amused smile at her reaction and she wants to roll her eyes at him.

“Hey,” he says, too soft. “Can I steal you for a minute?”

She quickly glances at Kevin who is too entranced in his own story to notice, but shakes her head anyway. Wrong place, wrong time. He grabs for her hand as if to urge her on, but she pulls away with a pointed look.

“No, Archie.”

Betty excuses herself to the saloon, which has been converted into a dance floor for the night. Veronica’s already out there, swinging back and forth between Reggie and Josie. She makes everything look effortless. Betty can’t even make effortless look effortless. She’s tried.

Veronica grabs her hand and yanks her over, holding a cup of champagne up to her lips and tipping it back slowly. Betty giggles between swallows and finds that she doesn’t mind when Reggie throws his arm around her shoulders.

“Nice to see you let loose for once, Betty!” He shouts against her ear, and Betty shrugs because it still doesn’t come naturally. She chugs the rest of her drink and lets the fuzziness settle in her stomach. It feels good to just close her eyes and sway to the music, forget about all the shitty things that have happened this year.

It’s not until she’s coming back from the bathroom that an arm reaches out and yanks into what appears to be a coat closet. A body hovers behind her, hands tight on her waist. It’s too familiar.

“Archie,” She whispers, his mouth is at her ear. “What do you want?”

“You,” Archie tightens his grip and she can feel him hard against her back. Something in Betty stirs, although she had tried to avoid it. She forces a question she’s bitten back for weeks, since they started this.

“What about Veronica?”

Archie spins her around to face him, and she notices his puzzled features.

“Veronica doesn’t love me,” he says, as if it answers all of their problems.

 _Neither do I_ , Betty thinks and doesn’t say. It doesn’t stop her from gripping a handful of his shirt and pulling him down in a kiss. Archie exhales with relief at the contact, and Betty leans into him until his back hits the wall. Her teeth sink into his bottom lip and Archie groans into her mouth, hands roaming eagerly over her body. For a moment, Betty feels like he really missed her.

“Betty,” he says, voice ragged, “Let me make you come again.”

The words alone send a shiver through her body and it’s hard to stop his fingers from slipping under her skirt and into her underwear. But she catches his hand, pushing it away. Archie’s brow furrows and she swallows, nervous under the heat of his gaze.

“Not this time,” she whispers. He keeps his eyes on hers as she unbuckles his belt and reaches into his briefs. Archie’s forehead drops against hers and she almost smiles at how affected he seems by her. Betty wets her palm with her tongue and slides it over his cock, testing. A soft gasp escapes Archie’s mouth and Betty does smile, pushing his briefs down as she lowers onto her knees.

Archie moves to pull her back up, “Betty, you don’t need to-“

He swallows his words when she runs her tongue along the length of him. She wraps her lips around the tip and his cock twitches against her mouth, begging for more. Archie’s hand moves from her shoulder to her blonde hair, silent permission to continue. She takes him in her mouth as deep as she can go and pulls back, following the same path with her fingers wrapped around him. Archie’s other hand fumbles for something to hold onto, a few coats falling to the floor in a heap.

Betty’s tongue swirls around the tip and Archie’s hips thrust against her mouth, beyond his control. Betty has never felt this kind of control before, suddenly understanding Archie’s evident satisfaction the other night. She keeps her tongue wrapping around his shaft, while her fingers jerk him slowly. Archie’s fingers are digging at her scalp and his breath is shallow enough to be his tell. She increasesher pace and hears a few curses fall from his lips. 

“Betty, if you don’t stop-“ it comes out in a groan, strangled in his throat. “I’m going to-“

He comes panting her name, _BettyBettyBettyFuckBetty_ , and she swallows prettily.

She rises and straightens her ponytail, wiping at her mouth carefully. Archie is still a limbless heap against the wall, but Betty helps him pull up his briefs. He doesn’t even buckle his pants before leaning forward to kiss her, hungry and wanting. If her eyes weren’t closed, she would’ve noticed thedoor swinging open to reveal Cheryl, Josie, and Veronica standing in the hallway.

“Sorry V,” Cheryl beams, seemingly proud of her discovery. “I could’ve sworn I hung your jacket up in here.”

Betty and Archie jump apart, and Betty immediately moves to straighten out her skirt while Archie fastens his belt. They could say this isn’t what it looks like, but it really doesn’t look like anything else. Veronica doesn’t speak, just stands frozen with her arms crossed.

 

Josie smirks, “Is this how that spin-the-bottle game ends in the darkest timeline?”

 

 

**tbc.**

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

She finds Veronica on a park bench a few blocks away, staring blankly into the night. She doesn’t look particularly angry or sad, her gaze is blank, empty. Betty takes a seat next to her and lets out a deep sigh, hoping Veronica will speak first. She usually does.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asks, voice vacant. Somewhere else.

Betty glances at her profile, “I was scared.”

Veronica’s brow furrows, gaze straight ahead. “Of me?”

“No,” Betty shakes her head, slow. “Of whatever it was. Whatever it is.”

It’s silent for awhile then. Betty’s fingers fidget with the hem of her skirt and she tries to think of something, anything to fix this. She glances up to find Veronica still searching the darkness, her eyes blink closed before she finally speaks again.

“Betty,” she starts, and her voice has taken on a new calmness. “Archie loves me.”

Betty’s eyes widen, “I know!” She nods, mostly to herself, “I know.”

She wants to say that’s the ridiculousness of it all. They are both in love with other people, and maybe this past month has been wasted time, selfishly destroying any chance they had at rebuilding their relationships. But she’d be lying if she said it didn’t mean _anything_. She could see it in the way he looked at her sometimes, the way she reached for him when he was in the room, almost like a reflex.

“I know,” she says again, an effort to convince them both.

 

 

Archie’s light is on when Betty gets home, and she doesn’t think before pushing his door open and bounding up the stairs, the way she had so many times before.

“Hey Betty!” Fred calls distantly from the living room, and she gives him a quick greeting in return before stepping into Archie’s room.

He’s laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His phone is resting in the middle of his chest, and he sits up when she enters the room. Relief plays over his features and a hand is already reaching out to pull her over to the bed.

“Betty,” he sighs, “You’re here.”

She nods, climbing onto his lap slowly, legs on either side of his own. There’s a charged silence between them and she ducks her head to capture his mouth with her own. The kiss is slow, relaxed- a contrast to the hungry movements in Cheryl’s closet. His hands glide up her back, fingers stopping to tangle in her hair. Betty’s lips are trailing along his jaw, but Archie is frozen in place. She pulls back to find that he’s watching her. His eyes are searching, as if he still can’t believe she’s there.

Betty swallows, nervous. “What?”

“Nothing,” he whispers, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. “You’re so pretty.”

She bites back a small smile, kissing him again. Archie grins against her mouth as his back hits the bed. His hands skate up her skirt, trail over her thighs. Betty feels goosebumps prickle over her skin. Archie flips them, Betty on her back, and pulls his shirt over his head. Betty sits up for a moment to pull her own shirt off and then he’s hovering over her again, lips on her throat. She can faintly hear her name against her skin as he pulls at her zipper, pushing her skirt down her legs. Betty kicks it onto the floor and takes a deep, anxious breath. It’s too quiet, too gentle, and _this_ is not supposed to be _that_.

Archie’s hands are steady over her sides, roaming over her chest and stopping to slide her bra strap off of her shoulder, trailing his mouth over the bare skin. He’s already hard against her leg, but his movements are as patient as ever. He rubs gentle circles over the front of her underwear and Betty nuzzles her nose against his cheek. She should reach out, touch him, do _something._ Her fingers twist in the sheets and Archie moves his mouth to rest above her ear. 

“Are you nervous?” He asks, voice soft.

She whispers, “Yes.”

Archie nods, forehead against her cheek. “Me too.”

He moves his hand from her underwear back up her stomach and kisses her again, gentle. She returns the kiss and tugs lightly at his hair, earning a groan against her mouth. Archie climbs on top of her again and she suddenly feels warm and safe with his weight hovering over her. His hips press into her and Betty releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Archie’s been here before, she knows. Grundy, Valerie, Veronica- she’s sure there were girls before that, as well.

“I’m sorry I didn’t-“ he starts. Stops. “l’m sorry I never-“

“It’s okay,” she says gently, “Really, it is.”

Betty doesn’t have any regrets. Any change in the trajectory and she wouldn’t have gotten so close with Jughead, never would’ve fallen in love, probably wouldn’t be able to call Veronica her best friend- _if she can even still call her that._ The year has been horrible, next to a nightmare, but she’s growing. Veronica’s words echo through her head, _“Archie loves me.” Archie loves me, Archie loves me, Archie loves me._

“We don’t have to do this,” he whispers against her ear.

Betty swallows, “You don’t want to?”

Archie almost laughs, his lips moving to the corner of her mouth.

“God, Betty.” He takes a moment to meet her gaze, “Of course I do.”

Betty can only nod, fighting the tears that are aching to spring at her eyes, tears that she’s been fighting for over a month, after they started this whole thing, and she knew there was no turning back.But Archie is safe, and he is gentle, and when the tears do roll down her cheeks, he brings his thumbs up to wipe them away. Archie presses another quick kiss to her lips before pushing himself up from the bed. He rifles through his bottom drawer and Betty sits up on the edge of the bed, clearing her throat a little pointedly.

“Maybe I should go,” she says, and tries to hide the crack in her voice.

“You could,” he shrugs, digging out an old sweatshirt, “or we could have a sleepover.”

Betty wipes the remaining tears away and offers a relieved smile. “Really?”

“Put this on,” Archie grins and tosses her the sweatshirt, “I’ll make popcorn.”

She pulls the hoodie over her head and breathes in the material, feeling an overwhelming warmth spread over her body. She doesn’t hesitate before padding down the stairs and joining Fred in the living room. As she curls into her favorite corner of the couch, Betty realizes she hasn’t felt this at home in months.

When Archie plops down next to her with the bowl of popcorn, she can’t help tucking herself into his side, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. He presses his mouth against her hair as he flips through the channels and they all sit in a comfortable silence until Fred finally speaks.

“You kids want cocoa?”

 

 

 

Betty wakes up to sunshine streaming in through the blinds and Archie’s arm draped loosely over her waist. She checks her phone to find three texts from Veronica, her stomach dropping at the name alone.

 

**Veronica:** _I still hate you for not telling me… But I don’t hate you for what you did._

**Veronica:** _You should tell Jughead. Cheryl is the queen of unpredictable and Jug hates surprises._

**Veronica:** _Let me know if you want to grab lunch later. Talk therapy and all that xo_

 

“Phone away,” Archie grumbles against her shoulder, “Back to sleep.”

Betty bites back a smile and sets her phone on the nightstand, curling back against his chest. Archie’s hand slides over her hip, under her sweatshirt, fingers trailing over her stomach and up-

“You took off your bra,” he comments, and his fingertips skate across the bare skin. “When did you do that?”

“Before I went to sleep,” she gives him a teasing shrug. “You were already out.”

Archie’s pulls her more tightly against his chest and she can feel his smile pressed against her ear, “Feel free to wake me next time.”

Betty ignores the way her heart skips at the words _next time_ , and says, “Noted.”

They lay like that for awhile, and Betty doesn’t really know what to do with herself. She’s used to rolling out of bed with the sunrise and getting a jump on her day. There’s something about the not moving that makes her fidget, toying with the corner of the comforter. Archie seems to notice, because he shifts her onto her back, head propped up by his elbow.

“Hey,” he whispers, a small smile. “Are you bored?”

Her response is an automatic, “Yes.”

Archie laughs and it vibrates through his entire body. He leans down and presses his lips against hers, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Betty moans into his mouth and Archie’s hands are warm under the sweatshirt, carefully searching.

“You were always up before me,” he mumbles against her jaw, “every time.”

Betty giggles, a little breathless, “Remember when I jumped on your sleeping bag and kneed you in the eye?”

“Yeah,” he nods, a wide grin. “The guys gave me shit for weeks about that shiner.”

They both share a light chuckle before she tilts her head up to kiss his smile and Archie returns it, pushing himself up to hover over her body. He freezes for a moment, gaze flickering from her eyes down to her mouth and back up. She watches him swallow and brings her hand up to his face, fingertips resting gently on his jaw.

“Hi,” she smiles, voice barely a whisper.

Archie’s eyes soften, his thumb brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, “Hi.”

There’s a charged silence between them and Betty feels an ache stir deep in her stomach. Her fingers hook in the waistband of his boxers and she pushes them down, a little hesitant. Archie catches her hand, and rests his forehead against hers.

“Betty…” he says, a quiet warning. He’s hard against her thigh and she arches slightly, searching for friction. Betty doesn’t speak, but she gives him a small nod, pushing his boxers down further. Her fingertips graze over his shaft and Archie licks his lips, dropping down to kiss her again. He exhales against her mouth and Betty lets her hand wrap around him, tugging gently.

“Fuck,” he whispers, his mouth lingers inches from hers.

There’s something about the innocence of it all. It’s eight in the morning, the sun is practically in their eyes and the whole house is quiet. They’ve done so much in such a short amount of time, but they’ve never made it this far before. Betty feels much younger, suddenly. Everything is tentative and new, and yet nothing about it is unfamiliar.

Archie’s fingers slip into her underwear and a small groan escapes him. She’s already wet, and his thumb brushes over her clit. Her limbs are thrumming and Betty wants to say _just do it, already_ , but he’s so gentle with his hands, more unsure than she’s ever seen him.

“Should I-“ his gaze moves to the nightstand and Betty nods, leaning up to press a kiss against his jaw. Her mouth trails over his neck, his shoulder, his hand fumbles through the drawer before he kisses her again, a little hungrier now. She hears a tear of the wrapper before he rolls the condom on and his hand comes up to rest on her cheek. His fingers are shaking. Betty reaches down to position him at her entrance and she catches the small gasp that escapes his throat. He urges forward, just slightly, and Betty leans up to press her lips against his jaw.

“It’s okay,” she says, softly. “You won’t hurt me.”

Archie carefully thrusts all the way inside and drops his head to her shoulder, burying his groan against her skin. It’s so different from his mouth, or his fingers. It’s _more._ She releases a sigh into his ear and Archie pulls back to thrust into her again, a little more fluid this time. He finds a slow rhythm, propping himself up on his elbows to kiss her and Betty returns it, a little breathless. 

“I’ve thought about this so many times,” he says against her ear, and Betty’s stomach swirls.

She whispers, “Me too.”

She hooks her legs up around his hips and sends him deeper inside of her. He picks up his pace then, fingers lacing with hers and pinning her down to the mattress.

“Betty that’s-“ he starts, a groan into her mouth. “Fuck.”

Archie’s lips move over her jaw, he bites at her throat, her ear, and he’s hitting just the right spot that Betty feels everything start to blur. She arches to catch his mouth in a hungry kiss and can’t stop the moan that escapes when his fingers move down to rub circles around her clit. Betty feels it building, the pleasure stirring in the pit of her stomach.

“I think-“ she swallows, trying to hold out, “-don’t stop.”

Archie’s eyes are closed but he smiles, and gives her a quick nod. His thrusts become more erratic, fingers swirling around her clit in featherlight strokes and Betty grips at his shoulders, feeling her walls clench around him. Archie’s hand slips over her mouth to muffle her breathy moans, and comes with his forehead against hers. He kisses her a few times then, unable to leave the moment, and pushes a strand of hair out of her mouth.

“That was…” she whispers, searching for the right word.

Archie nods, smiling. “It was.”

 

 

They pad down the stairs and Archie smoothes down her hair, gently. She stops at the bottom of the stairs and leans up to kiss him. Archie grins against her mouth, the normalcy of it. It shouldn’t be natural and yet it is.

“Have fun at lunch,” he sighs, hand still lingering at her waist. “Call me later?”

Betty nods, “Sure, Arch.”

She opens the front door to find a serpent staring back at her. Jughead sits on the front step, and glances over his shoulder at the noise, freezing when he takes in the sight in front of him. His eyes harden, fists clenching at his sides. It’s unclear if Cheryl sent him, or he came on his own. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter.

“Jug,” Betty starts, reaching for him as he’s already backing away.

She can see moisture rimming his eyes, but the anger wins, and he tears his arm away from her. 

“It was only a matter of time,” he bites, sarcastically checking a watch that isn’t there, “Right, Betts?”

Archie steps forward, “Jughead, don’t.”

Betty stays uncharacteristically silent. She can’t defend any of it, the kiss, the hooking up, the sleeping together. She stays frozen in her spot and keeps her eyes glued to the cement. Archie grabs Jughead’s arm and stops him on the sidewalk, they share a hushed conversation that Betty doesn’t need to hear. When she finally pushes past them to go home, Jughead catches her hand and takes a step towards her.

“Tell me it didn’t mean anything,” he says, quietly.

Betty swallows, a lump in the back of her throat.

“I can’t tell you that.”

 

 

It’s Monday, and Betty stands at the front entrance of Riverdale, taking a deep breath in. It would be a day just like any other, except that Archie is standing right next to her, and his fingers are laced with hers.

He gives her a quick glance and smiles, gaze returning to the double doors in front of them. Her heart is pounding, but she feels almost calm, comfortable. Her fingers squeeze a little tighter and she exhales.

“Here goes nothing.”


End file.
